Armenia
The '''Armenians '''have the Power of Eminence. They replace the Maya. Suggestions and Spoilers Armenia is one of the more oddball factions around, which sacrifices the strength of knights for a greater basis on mobility. It is basically well known for its ranged heavy cavalry, which in fact function more like javelineers, and are quite a menace to both infantry and cavalry alike, but suffer from being easy prey for common knights. Armenia also has some Byzantine influence, and this is seen from its ability to train and/or spawn Akritae, which are a special skirmisher levy shared with the Byzantines. As regards to medium infantry, the Armenian sword line, beginning with the Caucasus frontiersmen and finally ending with the Azat swordsmen is specialised in attack and a reduced wood cost. This means that for these units, Armenia has an production premium on these units, making them the backbone of Armenian might. Despite the seeming Muslim appearance of Armenian units and structures, Armenia is still nonetheless a nation wedded to Christ, and this is obvious from how Lesser Armenia, also known as the Cilician kingdom, connived with the Catholics during the Crusades. Armenia suffers from being an Orthodox nation: like the Byzantines and the Russians, the final tier of stable and infantry units is not available, but this does not matter greatly given how many perks Armenia gets. Not only can it count on the support of the knightly brothers who are trained from the Nobles' Court, but it also has access to some buildings usually available to Russia and Byzantium through researching Divine Mandate, namely the Bastion, an enhanced tower and the Eununchs' Court, an improved outpost with slight offensive capabilities and the Chapterhouse, which replaces the Peasants' Commune and makes life harder for occupiers of Armenian cities. Armenia can't build magistracies, but it matters not since it has access to one other building normally reserved to the Asians: the Constabulary, which functions as a static point defence and a cavalry production centre. The story on Armenia thus follows a single script line: wood can be saved on buildings, which can be used to forward build stables and barracks, which in turn feeds into the Armenian infantry line. In the Castle Age, composite bowmen, haspet and azat troops can be fielded to break down enemy infantry, which then can be demolished more easily by spearmen and light cavalry. Armenian buildings also can function as static point defences in an offensive manner: use the Euninchs' Court to hinder enemy troop movements, and spew forth mercenaries. The best mercenaries on hire for the Armenians would be the camel archers and the Freelancers and the Bees' Nests, which will shore up Armenia's inherent weaknesses. CtW Guide Perhaps one of the more challenging startups, Armenia is situated in the Caucasus, next to its ally Byzantium, but is surrounded by a plethora of enemies: the Saracens and their Turkish slaves to the south, the Mongols to the east, and the Russians to the extreme north. However, this means that like Poland and Burgundy, Armenia has many options in how to expand, and the strength of Byzantium's walls means that it should be an excellent ally. The most feasible enterprise thus would be to expand and to take the northern Middle East and the Black Sea, since Byzantium's resources can be used in tandem for quick overruns of territory. Best age: Castle, but the selection of Armenian Divine Mandate buildings also means that the Imperial Era can be one of its best periods too, albeit it lacks units like sword and buckler men or noble knights. History The oldest faction in Rise of Kings, Armenia is a mountain nation strategically located in the Caucasus, controlling the mountain passes between Asia and Europe. This nation enjoyed close relations with the Romans and their Hellenic dsescendents, the Byzantines, and even played a crucial role in the Crusades. At its height in 1000 AD, the Armenian kingdom covered parts of present-day Turkey and Syria and completely engulfed Lake Van. However, court intrigues and external pressures would soon result in the destruction of the nation, and by the beginning of the 16th century, the kingdom was divided among the Turks and the nascent Safavid sultanate in Iran. Lords of The Mountains At the onset of the 9th century, the kingdom of Armenia had been in existence for almost a thousand years, although it would often have changed hands between different ruling houses, and would on and off be a part of this or that empire, albeit it would always remain mostly autonomous. It had been under the control of the Muslim Rashidin and the Umayyad caliphates, but with the weakening of the latter, the Bagratid noble family under its lord Ashot eventually took the opportunity to overthrow Arab rule and after a short war, began consolidating the other noble families in Armenia under Bagratid rule. Armenia would remain free for two centuries, depending greatly on the skill of Ashot and his successors in playing off the Saracens and Byzantines against one another. The ruins of Ani, the capital of this state from the onset of the 10th century, attest to a period of peace and prosperity for Armenia during the rule of the Bagratids. Byzantine Occupation and the Kingdom of Cilicia However, as a small nation, it was clear that sooner or later Armenia would fall under the influence of greater powers in the region, and the strategic location of Armenia, bordering Syria and Iran, would ensure that it would always never leave the attention of its neighbours. Byzantine and Saracen alike would weaken the Armenian nation by influencing the local noble families to feud with one another, and this weakened the nation as a whole. The Byzantines, sensing easy prey, attacked in 1045, seizing Ani and razing it to the ground, followed by the Selcuk Turks who then conquered all that was left. The last king of Ani, Gagik II was exiled and later murdered to prevent rebellion in Armenia, and his people, in the face of predation by the Byzantines and the Turks, were soon scattered throughout Europe and Asia. However, despite being part of the Byzantine empire, the Armenians still managed to thrive, and soon founded a colony in Cilicia, also known as Little Armenia, in the southeast of present-day Turkey, based around a pre-existing enclave of Armenians dating from pre-Christian days. There, they soon declared independence under their prince Roupen in 1080 when troubles in the Byzantine Empire began to emerge. Roupen's kingdom thrived and although it would contract in size after the 14th century, would remain mostly independent for more than four centuries. The rise of Armenian Cilicia can be explained by several factors. First was the geography of the area: It was a wise choice to set up a new kingdom: nestled in the Taurus mountains and near the strategically significant trade routes that lead into the Caucasus in the north, and on the shores of the Levant. At the same time, the Armenians were delivered from eventual reabsorption due to the changing politics of the world by two events: the Crusades and the appearance of the Mongols in the Middle East. When European princes arrived in the Middle East to liberate Palestine, the Cilicians saw their chance, and established diplomatic relations with the newcomers, as well as assisting them and the Crusader States that would be established throughout the Levant. Indeed, Armenian help was so highly prized, that the state itself obtained its own European-style coat of arms, had its children intermarry with the Frankish peoples of that land, and even gained recognition from the Pope. This had the effect of ensuring that the Byzantines would never dare attack them. However, that left out the Muslims, who although bloodied by the Crusaders were never truly defeated and continued to menace the kingdom. This was solved with the arrival of the Mongols under Hulagu in Iraq. Seeing the light, the Armenian king Hetum made entreaties and relations were soon opened between Cilicia and the Mongols in 1254. Hetum himself soon also became chief advisor to the Mongols on their dealings with other Christian sovereigns, and along with the Qartvelians, became some of the Mongols' staunchest Christian allies in the Middle East. "And the Mountains will be like Carded Wool" Ultimately, though, the reasons for Cilicia's success would soon result in her downfall. Once Europe lost all interest in crusading and Mongol power was forever broken, the destruction of Cilician Armenia would then be guaranteed. The alliance with the Mongols, although it helped Armenia in the short run, soon meant that it soon found mortal enemies among its Arab Muslim neighbours. Chief among these foes were the Fatimids of Egypt, who were related in blood to the Abbasid caliphs and thus sought to avenge themselves upon the people who slew the caliph al-Musta'sim in 1258, and the Mamluks and the Armenians were at war with one another. A severe defeat of an Armeno-Mongol force at Homs soon meant that the Egyptians could impose harsh terms, and a punitive peace treaty was signed in 1281, stripping Cilicia of a great deal of territory. Once the Mongols and their Muslim counterparts, the Ilkhans, began to fall apart, Cilicia attempted to ally itself with the Frankish kingdom of Cyprus, but this only delayed the inevitable. The Mamluks came again, and in 1375, the last Cilician castle, Sis, was taken. The upper class fled with what little they had to Europe, and Cilicia became part of another empire. Once more, the Armenians were a people without a nation of their own and Armenia would not emerge again as a unified nation for more than five centuries until the end of the First World War. Category:Factions Category:Orthodoxy